The FDNY and NYPD’s brawl, at a charityhockey game over the weekend at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, left a black eye – literally in some cases – on the annual fundraising game. You know what they say: I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.

Says Fox Sports on April 6: “The New York police and fire departments may be on the same side of the law, but in their annual charity hockey game, all bets are off. With the score tied at 3-3, the NYPD and FDNY cleared the benches in the middle of Sunday's game in a pretty brutal brawl.”

Sticks, gloves and other pieces of equipment littered the ice as multiple players engaged each other one-on-one. Referees struggled to control the battle, and in most cases just let the combatants tire themselves out before stepping in.

“It was reminiscent of the old-time Rangers-Flyers games in the mid-’70s,” quipped an NYPD cop who was at the game at the Nassau Coliseum. “I was waiting for [legendary Philadelphia Flyers enforcer] Dave Schultz to come out on the ice.”

A sprit of camaraderie quickly turned into 1970s and 80s old time NHL goon-style kerfuffles. The NYPD squad eventually won, 8-5, but the fight took 25 minutes to sort out and clean up.

Haymakers were tossed and cops and firefighters were bloodied. While some fans clearly were enthralled at the brouhaha, others were disgusted that New York’s finest would turn on each other with such bloodlust.

The match was adverstised as New York's "Finest and Bravest" facing off against one another. Officials with the New York Police Department and the New York Fire Department declined to comment.

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Linsey is a married NY mom and is happy to contribute articles relating to top news. She is passionate about her writing, which she hopes you find appealing and engaging. As Ernest Hemingway said, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”